Beijing : Several Chinese regions on Monday began vaccinating minors aged 12-17 against the coronavirus after health authorities approved two inactivated vaccines for emergency use on those over three years old.
Approval was granted to the Sinovac and Sinopharm shots in early June and last week, respectively.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the northeastern Heilongjiang Province said that the vaccination campaign has been expanded from adults to middle and high school students 12-17 years old. However, before receiving a shot, students will have to present consent from their parents or guardians. The latter will also be obligated to accompany their children to the vaccination.
Minors are subject to two-shot vaccines.
The vaccination campaign for children will include several phases. During the first stage, teens aged 15-17 will be administered the first shot by the end of the month. If the first stage goes well, vaccinations for children from the 12-14 year group will follow in August. By the end of September, minors from these age groups are expected to have completed the vaccination course.
The authorities of the Guangxi region in southern China plan to immunize children and teens 12-17 years old from July-October. Guangdong, a southern Chinese province, is still conducting research and creating a vaccination plan for minors.
As of July 16, more than 1.43 billion COVID-19 vaccinations have been done in China.
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